Newborn deaths: Health dept issues chargesheet to gynaecologist

The health department on Tuesday issued a chargesheet to gynaecologist Dr Alka Mittal in connection with the death of two newborns and three stillbirths at Mother Child Hospital, attached to Lord Mahavira civil hospital, here on November 23.

The health department on Tuesday issued a chargesheet to gynaecologist Dr Alka Mittal in connection with the death of two newborns and three stillbirths at Mother Child Hospital, attached to Lord Mahavira civil hospital, here on November 23.

Mahajan also wrote to the civil surgeon to issue a showcause notice to class-4 employee Kanta Devi and a warning letter to staff nurse Rajni.

Assistant civil surgeon Dr KS Saini said, “We received the chargesheet for Dr Mittal and showcause notices for Dr Karkara and Dr Khanna and issued these to them. We have also issued a showcause notice to Kanta Devi for interfering in hospital work and a warning letter to staff nurse Rajni, for conducting the delivery in a complicated case without informing the specialist. The doctors were given three weeks to reply to the notices.”

Dr Mittal was suspended a day after the incident, after the first inquiry committee formed by health minister Surjit Kumar Jyani found her guilty of not being present in the hospital.

A second inquiry committee was also formed under Ludhiana deputy commissioner Rajat Agarwal, who investigated each case in detail and found Dr Mittal guilty and said the life of two kids could have been saved had she been present.

The inquiry committee also found Dr Khanna guilty of not assisting in a caesarean case and found Dr Karkara inefficient in the overall supervision. Staff nurse Rajni was found guilty in a case, where she didn’t inform the doctor in a complicated case and class-4 employee Kanta Devi was found guilty of interfering in hospital work.

After the detailed inquiry report submitted by the Ludhiana deputy commissioner, Dr Karkara was transferred to the community health centre (CHC) Sahnewal and Dr Khanna to CHC Machhiwara. Class-4 employee Kanta Devi was earlier transferred to CHC Kumkalan.